This year, the dog-and-pony show that is the NFL’s schedule release involved a pig. Or to be precise, a pig mascot. Hours before the league unveiled its schedule in a prime-time special — a special for a schedule in which teams’ opponents have been known for months, mind you — the Commanders teased the event by releasing a video that captured Major Tuddy sitting behind a desk while a camera panned to a board of all of Washington’s 2023 opponents.
These days, each team goes all-out with creative videos to go along with the annual schedule release. But the games themselves are what truly matter.
The Commanders open their season Sunday, Sept. 10, at home against the Arizona Cardinals. That kicks off a campaign that includes one prime-time game, a return to Dallas on Thanksgiving and a slew of opponents that make up what is ranked as the league’s eighth-hardest strength of schedule.
After not playing on the holiday for the last two years, the Commanders will travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys for the 11th time on Thanksgiving. The last meeting in 2020 saw Washington surprisingly blow out the Cowboys in a 41-16 rout. The game typically draws well, too: The 2016 showdown between the teams averaged 35.1 million viewers — which set a then-record for the most-watched regular season game ever on Fox.
While the Commanders will be in the spotlight on the holiday, Washington will again only have one regular-season matchup in prime time. The Commanders host the Chicago Bears in Week 5 on “Thursday Night Football” — a rematch of last year’s less-than-thrilling 12-7 win over the Bears in October, which was also aired on Amazon Prime.
The Commanders enter a pivotal year for coach Ron Rivera, who would have a new boss if Dan Snyder’s tentative agreement to sell the franchise to Josh Harris is finalized in time for the start of the season. Over the last three years under Rivera, the Commanders have made the postseason just once and have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
But the Commanders have a chance to get off to a strong start, something that’s been a rarity for Rivera-coached teams. Four of the Commanders’ first six games come against teams that failed to make playoffs last year.
In the Week 1 match-up against the Cardinals, the Commanders face an Arizona team that will likely be without starting quarterback Kyler Murray — who is still recovering from a torn ACL. That means the matchup could feature potential starter Sam Howell facing former Washington backup Colt McCoy.
The game is also a rematch between Eric Bieniemy and Jonathan Gannon, two assistant coaches who met in last year’s Super Bowl when Bieniemy’s Chiefs beat Gannon’s Eagles. The two have since landed new jobs, with Bieniemy becoming Washington’s offensive coordinator and the Cardinals hiring Gannon to be their head coach.
After that, the Commanders travel to face the Denver Broncos in Week 2 (Sept. 17) before tough games against the Buffalo Bills (Sept. 24) and the Eagles (at Philadelphia, Oct. 1). Following those matchups, Washington has a less daunting stretch in which it’ll play the Bears on Oct. 5 and face the Falcons in Atlanta on Oct. 15.
Washington’s middle of the season, however, could swing the NFC East. Over a six-game span from Oct. 22 to Nov. 23, the Commanders will square off against four divisional opponents. They’ll play at New York on Oct. 22, return home to face the Eagles a week later, host the Giants on Nov. 19 and then travel to face the Cowboys four days later on Thanksgiving.
Washington’s two other games in that stretch will be on the road against the New England Patriots (Nov. 5) and the Seattle Seahawks (Nov. 12).
Upon returning from Dallas, the Commanders will play just one game in a span of 22 days. Washington will host the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 3 — and then have its bye week in Week 14.
The Commanders’ Week 14 bye is an exact repeat from a year ago. The NFL didn’t have a bye week that late until the league expanded to 17 games in 2021.
Once they return from their break, the Commanders will have to travel across the country for a Dec. 17 showdown with the Los Angeles Rams. They then have another road trip a week later when they’ll meet Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Christmas Eve for a 1 p.m. game.
The Commanders close the year with matchups against two playoff teams, facing the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 31 and the Cowboys again at a date to be determined.
This is the second straight year that the Commanders will conclude their season at home with the Cowboys. Last season, the Commanders ended with an upset win over Dallas in Howell’s debut. Howell was the Commanders’ third starting quarterback last year, but the win helped make him the favorite to start for Washington this coming fall.
If history repeats itself — and the Commanders again have to start their third quarterback of the season in Week 18 — the year will likely have gone terribly wrong for Rivera and Co.
Washington’s 2023 schedule
Week 1, Sept. 10: Arizona Cardinals, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 2, Sept. 17: at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 3, Sept. 24: Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 4, Oct.1 at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 5, Oct. 5: Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime Video)
Week 6, Oct. 15: at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 7, Oct. 22: at New York Giants, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 8, Oct. 29: Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 9, Nov. 5: at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 10, Nov. 12: at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 11, Nov. 19: New York Giants, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 12, Nov. 23: at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. (CBS)
Week 13, Dec. 3: Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 14: BYE
Week 15, Dec. 17: at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
Week 16, Dec. 24: at New York Jets, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 17, Dec. 31: San Francisco 49ers, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 18, TBD: Dallas Cowboys
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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